1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to wheel brakes for use with cranes and other material handling equipment. Wheel brakes are used, in part, to retard the motion of cranes against wind loads, both dynamically and statically.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional crane brakes, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,199, issued Feb. 1, 2000 to David C. Heidenreich, are hydraulic caliper disk brakes that include brake pad self-activating wear adjusters to maintain a constant brake gap. These brakes prevent brake pad wear only when the wheel to which they are applying the braking force do not have significant lateral movement, or float. On many cranes, however, the wheels substantially float from side to side. What is required in these situations is a wheel brake that maintains the separation between the wheel and the brake pad as the wheel floats from side to side, and provides brake pad and side wheel surface alignment while braking.